The Dordogne and the neighbouring Lot valley is one of the most beautiful regions in France, a magnet for food lovers and nature enthusiasts. The area has remained fairly untouched by 20th-century development and tourism and the rural way of life continues very much as it has for centuries. Local farmers seem happy to live a fairly subsistence lifestyle and village markets continue to flourish long after they have disappeared from the high streets of other European countries. This is due, no doubt, to the local taste for fresh ingredients and their disregard for what are regarded as draconian EU health and safety laws.
Although medieval villages and towns such as Conques, Cahors and Montauban are starting to be discovered by tourists looking for a more authentic France, they have managed to retain their old-world charm. Visitors don't come here for a busy nightlife, or indeed for the weather, which can be wet even in summer, but for the stunning countryside, pâté, truffles, succulent Limousin veal and fine wine.
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